


Tithonus Variations

by bord_de_leau



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: M/M, The Da Vinci Disappearance DLC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 13:59:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4748957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bord_de_leau/pseuds/bord_de_leau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonardo muses on his relationship with Ezio over the years as they travel through the Temple of Pythagoras. Inspired by and featuring Ezio in Florentine Noble Attire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tithonus Variations

Over the years, respective pursuits and a mutual restlessness has kept them apart.

Leonardo, though battered and bruised, thought he might savour this moment of reunion as he follows Ezio into each vault, dutifully holding onto the torch, on to unveiling secrets hidden within the Pythagoras Temple that the Hermeticists have so craved for.

It’s not the first time that they’ve saved each other’s life, so Leonardo lets it pass without verbalizing any form of thanks - they are way past these formalities. Instead, he lets the silent gratitude sink in to a simple nod. 

During his captivity, Leonardo has never once doubted that his old friend would come to his rescue. However, another subject of concern, Salai, has frequently crossed his mind. And so it happens that their conversation also steers onto this particular subject, as Leonardo almost absent-mindedly uttered the words.

“I suppose Salai is out having fun with my hard-earned florins?” 

“ He is safe at home,” Came the reply. Ezio had his back turned, busy studying a treasure chest.

Leonardo lets out a sign of relief at the discovery that Salai hasn’t been locked up for some petty crimes or fled entirely, and offers a light-hearted joke to cover up his concern.

Then he heard Ezio chuckle, “You do not need to lie to me. Salai fits you, I approve.”

And so in these brief words Ezio lets a confrontation amiss and acknowledges Leonardo’s companion. It’s not that Leonardo intentionally hides his preference for men, throughout the years he’s dropped hints here and there, which Ezio never seems to understand, given his friend’s infamous reputation with women – no, it’s more that Leonardo cannot imagine what a scene it would cause, entirely due to Salai’s propensity for misconduct and in turn a conviction of Leonardo’s mistaste.  So back then he stacked this along with piles of other excuses to delay any introduction.

Shocks apart, Leonardo wonders how they acquaintance actually went.  

Not quite among these excuses though, is the burden that Ezio might realize Leonardo’s infatuation with him back in Florence, back in Venice. But Salai is no substitute. This is one of the things that Leonardo pondered long and hard for when he’d first took in Salai. The conclusion is certain. There is nothing alike between Salai and Ezio. Salai doesn’t even draw up the comparison with a younger, careless version of Ezio.

Cool winds sweeps through the second trial room, as if they stumbled into a paradise lost to the era. It’s nothing like scorching-hot, clay-themed, cacophonous populace that is Rome above. Here the air is cold, if not a little musty, and rays of light shone out of cracks illuminates the room, highlighting the marble interior. As he watches Ezio leap onto ancient, vine-covered columns, the younger version of Ezio suddenly crosses his mind. In this vision, Ezio is without his armour and cape. Clad in usual Florentine noble attire and a red ribbon tied to his hair, the view of Ezio’s youthful complexion is unobstructed.

Amidst falling leaves, Ezio lands in front of him. And in a fleeting moment, the vision is so strong that Leonardo sees the young Ezio flash a cocky grin, head tilted and hands extended to brandish yet another success. 

But no, it couldn’t be. Because Ezio’s next gesture and the confident, low-toned voice couldn’t belong to the boy. There’s something about Ezio’s demeanour that conveys a whole different kind of confidence. And the voice is paced, full of authority that expects, no, knows, that others will obey on instinct. 

But how he had cherished the boy. How many times when Leonardo is the only witness of Ezio’s remorse, defeat and naivety. The artist and the scholar in him simultaneously admire such range of emotions. Needless to say, Leonardo suffers with Ezio at every one of these instants. Still, he longs to capture them on canvas but knows full well that his brush strokes are only capable to such an extent.

The gestures and the visage are perplexingly incongruent and familiar. Leonardo failed to shake off either one.  
For a second, Leonardo just stared. And suddenly he was becoming more aware of lines carved onto his face and every white and grey strand that have weaved into his hair. He’s not ashamed of it; it’s what happens to every man. But it just seems that fate has been particularly kind to Ezio by even to allow Leonardo a glimpse vision such as this.

Then the urgency of destroying the artifact ended his musing. Leonardo swallowed a wry smile and turned to sprint toward the next room with a hurried “We must continue onward.”

Into the next room they went. Leonardo paused for a second to marvel at the grandness of the vault, while in peripheral he caught Ezio’s silhouette without pause leaping onto a broken marble column.

Come to think of it, Leonardo has discerned himself as a static character even in his own storyline. In contrast, Ezio has been shaped into a man by time and life.

Leonardo’s gaze follows Ezio’s figure faithfully as the latter activates each trigger. Leonardo finds the ancient puzzle quite a spectral. Secretly he presses down any worry that his old friend might tumble into the sea of fire below.

And the final trigger is complete. The vault now shone bright as day. It played an intricate effect on Ezio’s contour. Half of his face lit up, half of it disguised in the shadows, and the reflection of the flame dances in his eyes.

Then at the final vault, where the mystery is unraveled to contain no meaning, Leonardo couldn’t hide his disappointment. On the other hand, Ezio appears to have completely accepted the outcome. If Leonardo hadn’t known the Florentine better he might have thought this is a man that has unconditionally submitted to fate.

The image of the boy comes up again, this time somehow the two do not match.

Sensing Leonardo’s disappointment, Ezio starts a new round of inquiries to distract him. Leonardo sees this. He plays along. They set back to more harmless banter. Leonardo’s brooding episode is gone and forgotten. After all, there is work to do and Salai to be looked after for.

Following their little adventure with the cult of Hermes, another few years came to pass. The Borgia ordeal has finally came to a closure and Ezio returns. Leonardo by then is ready to embark on a new journey, having accepted the invitation of Francis I. He couldn’t help but wistfully think whether Ezio would be truly settled as well, and immediately shakes his head, smiling for ever letting such a thought come across him. The Florentine eagle wouldn’t be so easily lured into peace and quiet, not yet, least.

Then comes the news that Ezio is setting out for Masyaf. And so they part again, ad infinitum.


End file.
